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Molecular and Hormonal Mechanisms Regulating Fleshy Fruit Ripening.
Li, S, Chen, K, Grierson, D
Cells. 2021;(5)
Abstract
This article focuses on the molecular and hormonal mechanisms underlying the control of fleshy fruit ripening and quality. Recent research on tomato shows that ethylene, acting through transcription factors, is responsible for the initiation of tomato ripening. Several other hormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA) and brassinosteroids (BR), promote ripening by upregulating ethylene biosynthesis genes in different fruits. Changes to histone marks and DNA methylation are associated with the activation of ripening genes and are necessary for ripening initiation. Light, detected by different photoreceptors and operating through ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5(HY5), also modulates ripening. Re-evaluation of the roles of 'master regulators' indicates that MADS-RIN, NAC-NOR, Nor-like1 and other MADS and NAC genes, together with ethylene, promote the full expression of genes required for further ethylene synthesis and change in colour, flavour, texture and progression of ripening. Several different types of non-coding RNAs are involved in regulating expression of ripening genes, but further clarification of their diverse mechanisms of action is required. We discuss a model that integrates the main hormonal and genetic regulatory interactions governing the ripening of tomato fruit and consider variations in ripening regulatory circuits that operate in other fruits.
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New Insights into Molecular Mechanism behind Anti-Cancer Activities of Lycopene.
Puah, BP, Jalil, J, Attiq, A, Kamisah, Y
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;(13)
Abstract
Lycopene is a well-known compound found commonly in tomatoes which brings wide range of health benefits against cardiovascular diseases and cancers. From an anti-cancer perspective, lycopene is often associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer and people often look for it as a dietary supplement which may help to prevent cancer. Previous scientific evidence exhibited that the anti-cancer activity of lycopene relies on its ability to suppress oncogene expressions and induce proapoptotic pathways. To further explore the real potential of lycopene in cancer prevention, this review discusses the new insights and perspectives on the anti-cancer activities of lycopene which could help to drive new direction for research. The relationship between inflammation and cancer is being highlighted, whereby lycopene suppresses cancer via resolution of inflammation are also discussed herein. The immune system was found to be a part of the anti-cancer system of lycopene as it modulates immune cells to suppress tumor growth and progression. Lycopene, which is under the family of carotenoids, was found to play special role in suppressing lung cancer.
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Application of Genome Editing in Tomato Breeding: Mechanisms, Advances, and Prospects.
Salava, H, Thula, S, Mohan, V, Kumar, R, Maghuly, F
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(2)
Abstract
Plants regularly face the changing climatic conditions that cause biotic and abiotic stress responses. The abiotic stresses are the primary constraints affecting crop yield and nutritional quality in many crop plants. The advances in genome sequencing and high-throughput approaches have enabled the researchers to use genome editing tools for the functional characterization of many genes useful for crop improvement. The present review focuses on the genome editing tools for improving many traits such as disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, yield, quality, and nutritional aspects of tomato. Many candidate genes conferring tolerance to abiotic stresses such as heat, cold, drought, and salinity stress have been successfully manipulated by gene modification and editing techniques such as RNA interference, insertional mutagenesis, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR/Cas9). In this regard, the genome editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9, which is a fast and efficient technology that can be exploited to explore the genetic resources for the improvement of tomato and other crop plants in terms of stress tolerance and nutritional quality. The review presents examples of gene editing responsible for conferring both biotic and abiotic stresses in tomato simultaneously. The literature on using this powerful technology to improve fruit quality, yield, and nutritional aspects in tomato is highlighted. Finally, the prospects and challenges of genome editing, public and political acceptance in tomato are discussed.
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4.
Progress on Understanding Transcriptional Regulation of Chloroplast Development in Fleshy Fruit.
Jia, T, Cheng, Y, Khan, I, Zhao, X, Gu, T, Hu, X
International journal of molecular sciences. 2020;(18)
Abstract
Edible fleshy fruits are important food sources in the human diet. Their yield and nutritional quality have long been considered as breeding targets for improvement. Various developing fleshy fruits with functional chloroplasts are capable of photosynthesis and contribute to fruit photosynthate, leading to the accumulation of metabolites associated with nutritional quality in ripe fruit. Although tomato high-pigment mutants with dark-green fruits have been isolated for more than 100 years, our understanding of the mechanism of chloroplast development in fleshy fruit remain poor. During the past few years, several transcription factors that regulate chloroplast development in fleshy fruit were identified through map-based cloning. In addition, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms that how these transcription factors regulate chloroplast development. This review provides a summary and update on this progress, with a framework for further investigations of the multifaceted and hierarchical regulation of chloroplast development in fleshy fruit.
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5.
How Hormones and MADS-Box Transcription Factors Are Involved in Controlling Fruit Set and Parthenocarpy in Tomato.
Molesini, B, Dusi, V, Pennisi, F, Pandolfini, T
Genes. 2020;(12)
Abstract
Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after successful fertilization. In parthenocarpy, fruit formation is less affected by environmental factors because it occurs in the absence of pollination and fertilization, making parthenocarpy a highly desired agronomic trait. Elucidating the genetic program controlling parthenocarpy, and more generally fruit set, may have important implications in agriculture, considering the need for crops to be adaptable to climate changes. Several phytohormones play an important role in the transition from flower to fruit. Further complexity emerges from functional analysis of floral homeotic genes. Some homeotic MADS-box genes are implicated in fruit growth and development, displaying an expression pattern commonly observed for ovary growth repressors. Here, we provide an overview of recent discoveries on the molecular regulatory gene network underlying fruit set in tomato, the model organism for fleshy fruit development due to the many genetic and genomic resources available. We describe how the genetic modification of components of this network can cause parthenocarpy, discussing the contribution of hormonal signals and MADS-box transcription factors.
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Potential Role of Lycopene in the Prevention of Postmenopausal Bone Loss: Evidence from Molecular to Clinical Studies.
Walallawita, US, Wolber, FM, Ziv-Gal, A, Kruger, MC, Heyes, JA
International journal of molecular sciences. 2020;(19)
Abstract
Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density, which affects the quality of life of the aging population. Furthermore, disruption of bone microarchitecture and the alteration of non-collagenous protein in bones lead to higher fracture risk. This is most common in postmenopausal women. Certain medications are being used for the treatment of osteoporosis; however, these may be accompanied by undesirable side effects. Phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables are a source of micronutrients for the maintenance of bone health. Among them, lycopene has recently been shown to have a potential protective effect against bone loss. Lycopene is a lipid-soluble carotenoid that exists in both all-trans and cis-configurations in nature. Tomato and tomato products are rich sources of lycopene. Several human epidemiological studies, supplemented by in vivo and in vitro studies, have shown decreased bone loss following the consumption of lycopene/tomato. However, there are still limited studies that have evaluated the effect of lycopene on the prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal women. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the relevant literature on the potential impact of lycopene on postmenopausal bone loss with molecular and clinical evidence, including an overview of bone biology and the pathophysiology of osteoporosis.
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7.
Genetic factors involved in the bioavailability of tomato carotenoids.
Desmarchelier, C, Landrier, JF, Borel, P
Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. 2018;(6):489-497
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To provide an update on the genetic factors recently associated with the interindividual variability of tomato carotenoid bioavailability. RECENT FINDINGS Several clinical studies have demonstrated that the main carotenoids found in tomatoes (lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, β-carotene, lutein) all display relatively large interindividual variabilities of their bioavailability, with coefficients of variations more than 70%. The bioavailability of the parent molecules, and the blood/tissue appearance of their metabolites, is modulated by numerous proteins, involved in intestinal absorption and metabolism, blood lipoprotein transport or tissue uptake. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the interindividual variability of lycopene, lutein and β-carotene bioavailability, with six genes consistently shared between the three carotenoids, and in particular one SNP in ELOVL fatty acid elongase 2. The effects of the genetic variants taken separately are relatively low, that is each variant is usually associated with only a few percentage of the variability but multivariate analyses suggest that the additive effect of several genetic variants can explain a significant fraction of tomato carotenoid bioavailability. SUMMARY Additional studies are needed to improve our knowledge of the genetic determinants of tomato carotenoid bioavailability but progress in this field could one day allow nutritionists to provide more personalized dietary recommendations.
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8.
Vertical and Horizontal Transmission of Pospiviroids.
Matsushita, Y, Yanagisawa, H, Sano, T
Viruses. 2018;(12)
Abstract
Viroids are highly structured, single-stranded, non-protein-coding circular RNA pathogens. Some viroids are vertically transmitted through both viroid-infected ovule and pollen. For example, potato spindle tuber viroid, a species that belongs to Pospiviroidae family, is delivered to the embryo through the ovule or pollen during the development of reproductive tissues before embryogenesis. In addition, some of Pospiviroidae are also horizontally transmitted by pollen. Tomato planta macho viroid in pollen infects to the ovary from pollen tube during pollen tube elongation and eventually causes systemic infection, resulting in the establishment of horizontal transmission. Furthermore, fertilization is not required to accomplish the horizontal transmission. In this review, we will overview the recent research progress in vertical and horizontal transmission of viroids, mainly by focusing on histopathological studies, and also discuss the impact of seed transmission on viroid dissemination and seed health.
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Defining essential processes in plant pathogenesis with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 disarmed polymutants and a subset of key type III effectors.
Wei, HL, Collmer, A
Molecular plant pathology. 2018;(7):1779-1794
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Abstract
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and its derivatives cause disease in tomato, Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana. The primary virulence factors include a repertoire of 29 effector proteins injected into plant cells by the type III secretion system and the phytotoxin coronatine. The complete repertoire of effector genes and key coronatine biosynthesis genes have been progressively deleted and minimally reassembled to reconstitute basic pathogenic ability in N. benthamiana, and in Arabidopsis plants that have mutations in target genes that mimic effector actions. This approach and molecular studies of effector activities and plant immune system targets have highlighted a small subset of effectors that contribute to essential processes in pathogenesis. Most notably, HopM1 and AvrE1 redundantly promote an aqueous apoplastic environment, and AvrPtoB and AvrPto redundantly block early immune responses, two conditions that are sufficient for substantial bacterial growth in planta. In addition, disarmed DC3000 polymutants have been used to identify the individual effectors responsible for specific activities of the complete repertoire and to more effectively study effector domains, effector interplay and effector actions on host targets. Such work has revealed that AvrPtoB suppresses cell death elicitation in N. benthamiana that is triggered by another effector in the DC3000 repertoire, highlighting an important aspect of effector interplay in native repertoires. Disarmed DC3000 polymutants support the natural delivery of test effectors and infection readouts that more accurately reveal effector functions in key pathogenesis processes, and enable the identification of effectors with similar activities from a broad range of other pathogens that also defeat plants with cytoplasmic effectors.
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Fruitflow®: the first European Food Safety Authority-approved natural cardio-protective functional ingredient.
O'Kennedy, N, Raederstorff, D, Duttaroy, AK
European journal of nutrition. 2017;(2):461-482
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Abstract
Hyperactive platelets, in addition to their roles in thrombosis, are also important mediators of atherogenesis. Antiplatelet drugs are not suitable for use where risk of a cardiovascular event is relatively low. It is therefore important to find alternative safe antiplatelet inhibitors for the vulnerable population who has hyperactive platelets in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Potent antiplatelet factors were identified in water-soluble tomato extract (Fruitflow®), which significantly inhibited platelet aggregation. Human volunteer studies demonstrated the potency and bioavailability of active compounds in Fruitflow®. Fruitflow® became the first product in Europe to obtain an approved, proprietary health claim under Article 13(5) of the European Health Claims Regulation 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. Fruitflow® is now commercially available in different countries worldwide. In addition to its reduction in platelet reactivity, Fruitflow® contains anti-angiotensin-converting enzyme and anti-inflammatory factors, making it an effective and natural cardio-protective functional food.